Liriope plant named ‘ET-LIR 2’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Liriope plant named ‘ET-LIR 2’, characterized by its upright to outwardly arching plant habit with long, strong, upright flowering stems; freely flowering habit; large violet-colored flowers; good garden performance; and winter hardiness.

Botanical designation: Liriope muscari.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ET-LIR 2’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Liriopeplant, botanically known as Liriope muscari and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘ET-LIR 2’.

The new Liriope plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Boijl, The Netherlands. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new freely-flowering Liriope plantswith long-lasting flowers on strong flowering stems.

The new Liriope plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in Boijl, The Netherlands in September, 2007 of a proprietaryselection of Liriope muscari identified as code number 4-301, notpatented, as the female, or seed parent with a proprietary selection ofLiriope muscari identified as code number 8-636, not patented, as themale, or pollen, parent. The new Liriope plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within theprogeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment inBoijl, The Netherlands in August, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Liriope plant by divisions in acontrolled environment in Boijl, The Netherlands since March, 2009 hasshown that the unique features of this new Liriope plant are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Liriope have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperatureand light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘ET-LIR 2’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘ET-LIR 2’ as a new and distinct Liriope plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly arching plant habit with long, strong,        upright flowering stems.    -   2. Freely flowering habit.    -   3. Large violet-colored flowers.    -   4. Good garden performance; winter hardy.

Plants of the new Liriope differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Liriope are narrower than leaves        of plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Liriope are more freely flowering than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Liriope are positioned        higher above the foliar plane than inflorescences of plants of        the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Liriope differ from plants of the male parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Liriope are narrower than leaves        of plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Liriope are more freely flowering than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Liriope are positioned        higher above the foliar plane than inflorescences of plants of        the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Liriope can be compared to plants of Liriope muscari‘ET-LIR 1’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Patent application filedconcurrently. Plants of the new Liriope and ‘ET-LIR 1’ differ primarilyin the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Liriope are narrower and lighter        green in color than leaves of plants of ‘ET-LIR 1’.    -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Liriope are lighter violet in        color than flowers of plants of ‘ET-LIR 1’.

Plants of the new Liriope can also be compared to plants of Liriopemuscari ‘Moneymaker’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Boijl, The Netherlands, plants of the new Liriope differedprimarily from plants of ‘Moneymaker’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Liriope were taller and broader than plants        of ‘Moneymaker’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Liriope were longer than leaves        of plants of ‘Moneymaker’.    -   3. Plants of the new Liriope were more freely flowering than        plants of ‘Moneymaker’.    -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Liriope were darker in color        than flowers of plants of ‘Moneymaker’.    -   5. Plants of the new Liriope were more winter hardy than plants        of ‘Moneymaker’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Liriope showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Liriope.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘ET-LIR 2’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalflowering plant of ‘ET-LIR 2’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in containers during the late summerand autumn in an outdoor nursery in Boijl, The Netherlands and undercultural conditions typical of commercial Liriope production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 25° C.and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 15° C. Plants were threeyears old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken.In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Liriope muscari ‘ET-LIR 2’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Liriope            muscari identified as code number 4-301, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Liriope            muscari identified as code number 8-636, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By divisions.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four weeks at            temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About four weeks at            temperatures about 5° C. to 10° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About ten            weeks at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About ten            weeks at temperatures about 5° C. to 10° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous flowering perennial            plant; upright plant habit with outwardly arching foliage            with upright, strong and long flowering stems; flowering            stems and leaves basal; moderately vigorous growth habit;            moderate growth rate.        -   Plant height (soil level to top of inflorescences).—About 30            cm to 40 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 40 cm to 50 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Basal rosette, simple, sessile.        -   Length.—About 20 cm to 50 cm.        -   Width.—About 5 mm to 10 mm.        -   Shape.—Acicular.        -   Apex.—Obtuse to acute.        -   Base.—Decurrent.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Rough, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.        -   Color.—Developing and fully developed leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137A; venation, close to 139A. Developing and fully            developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 137D, venation,            close to 139A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Numerous single flowers            arranged on dense terminal racemes; flowers face outwardly;            freely flowering habit; about 150 to 200 flowers per            inflorescence.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 15            weeks after planting; in the garden, plants flower            continuously from late summer to late autumn in The            Netherlands.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about eight to ten            weeks on the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Diameter: About 2            mm to 3 mm. Shape: Oval to obovate. Color: Close to 90C.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 15 cm to 20 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.5 cm to 3 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm to 7 mm.        -   Flower depth.—About 6 mm to 8 mm.        -   Perianth.—Three inner segments arranged in a single whorl            and three outer segments in a single whorl; segments            separate. Inner segments: Length: About 5 mm. Width: About            3 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close            to 83C; color does not fade with development. When opening            and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 83D; color does            not fade with development. Outer segments: Length: About 4            mm to 6 mm. Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.            Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening            and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 83C; color does            not fade with development. When opening and fully opened,            lower surface: Close to 83D; color does not fade with            development.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 30 cm to 40 cm. Diameter: About            1 cm. Angle: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 147A; towards the apex,            becoming closer to 85A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm to 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm            to 2 mm. Angle: About 90° from the inflorescence stalk.            Strength: Weak to moderately strong. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Close to N82C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            six. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to            N82C. Anther shape: Lanceolate to elliptic. Anther length:            About 1 mm to 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 6A. Pollen            amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.            Pistil length: About 2 mm. Style length: About 2 mm. Style            color: Close to N88C. Stigma shape: Round. Stigma color:            Close to N88D. Ovary color: Close to N88C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Liriope.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Liriope have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Liriope    plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Liriope have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures from about −25° C. to about 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Liriope plant named ‘ET-LIR 2’ asillustrated and described.